5. He Weds I-suke-yori-hime
1So when he dwelt in Himuka, [His Augustness Kamu-yamato-ihare-biko] wedded Princess Ahira, younger sister of the Duke of Wobashi in Ata, and begot children: there were two,—His Augustness Tagishi-mimi, next His Augustness Kisu-mimi. But when he sought for a beautiful maiden to make her his Chief Empress, His Augustness Oho-kume said: “There is here a beauteous maiden who is called the august child of a Deity. The reason why she is called the august child of a Deity is that the Princess Seya-datara, daughter of Mizokuhi of Mishima, was admired on account of her beauty by the Great-Master-of-Things the Deity of Miwa, qui, quum pulchra puella oletum fecit, in sagittam rubro [colore] fucatam se convertit, et ab inferiori parte cloacæ [ad usum] faciendi oleti virginis privatas partes transfixit. Tunc pulchra virgo cousternata est, et surrexit, et trepide fugit. Statim sagittam attulit, et juxta thalamum posuit. Subito [sagitta] formosus adolescens facta est, qui cito pulchram puellam sibi in matrimonio junxit, et filiam procreavit nomine Hoto-tatara-i-susugi-hime; et est nomen alternativum Hime-tatara-i-suke-yori-hime. (Id est posterior mutatio nominis, quoniam abhorruit facere mentionem privatarum partinm). So therefore she is called the august child of a Deity. Hereupon seven beauteous maidens were out playing on the moor of Takasazhi, and I-suke-yori-hime was among them. His Augustness Ohokume, seeing I-suke-yori-hime, spoke to the Heavenly Sovereign in a Song, saying:
2“Seven maidens on the moor of Takasazhi in Yamato:—which shall be interlaced?”
3Then I-suke-yori-hime was standing first among the beauteous maidens. Forthwith the Heavenly Sovereign, having looked at the beauteous maidens, and knowing in his august heart that I-suke-yori-hime was standing in the very front, replied by a Song, saying:
4“Even [after nought but] a fragment [ary glimpse], I will intertwine the lovely [one] standing in the very front.”
5Then His Augustness Ohokume informed I-suke-yori-hime of the Heavenly Sovereign’s decree, whereupon she, seeing the slit sharp eyes of His Augustness Ohokume, sang in her astonishment, saying:
6“ ? ? “ ? ? “Wherefore the slit sharp eyes?”
7Then His Augustness Ohokume replied by a Song, saying:
8“My slit sharp eyes [are] in order to find the maiden immediately.”
9So the maiden said that she would respectfully serve [the Heavenly Sovereign]. Hereupon the house of Her Augustness I-suke-yori-hime was on [the bank of] the River Sawi. The Heavenly Sovereign made a progress to the abode of I-suke-yori-hime, and augustly slept [there] one night. (The reason why that river was called the River Sawi was that on the River’s banks the mountain-lily-plant grew in abundance. So the name of the mountain-lily-plant was taken, and the designation of River Sawi [bestowed]. The name by which the mountain-lily- plant was originally called was sawi.) Afterwards, when I-suke-yori-hime came and entered into the palace, the Heavenly Sovereign sang augustly saying:
10“In a damp hut on the reed-moor having spread layer upon layer of sedge mats, we two slept!”
11The names of the august children thus born were: His Augustness Hiko-ya-wi, next His Augustness Kamu-ya-wi-mimi, next His Augustness Kamu-nuna-kaha-mimi (Three Deities).